1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method that allows printing using a hot folder.
2. Description of the Related Art
A technique known as hot folder printing allows data created by an application running on a computer to be easily printed using a hot folder. In the hot folder printing technique, a folder to which print properties are set is created in advance on a desktop screen or the like of a computer. If a data file to be printed is dragged and dropped into that folder, the data file is printed in accordance with print properties set to the folder.
Conventionally, print properties are set to a hot folder in several different manners. In a first approach, desired print properties are defined in advance in association with a particular hot folder so that when a file to be printed is dragged and dropped into that hot folder, printing is performed in accordance with the defined print properties (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-118095).
In another known technique of performing printing in accordance with predefined print properties, print properties are stored on a printer driver so that the stored print properties can be easily called when printing is performed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-222159). This technique is different from the hot folder printing technique in that a set of print properties is stored as a “favorite set of print properties” so that when printing is performed, it is allowed to select the favorite set of print properties and perform printing in accordance with the favorite set of print properties. As required, it is allowed to modify some print property before printing is started.
It is also known to check validity of specified print properties such that although any parameter values are allowed when print properties are defined in advance, validity of specified parameter values of print properties is checked on a print preview screen before printing is started (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,568).